Lighting comprises a large portion of energy consumption in buildings and infrastructures. For instance, in some situations lighting systems may consume approximately 20% of the energy used in buildings and approximately 38% of the electricity used in buildings. Furthermore, a large part of lighting use occurs during times of high energy consumption.
Transformation of power grids into smart grids is being promoted by many governments as a way of addressing energy independence and sustainability, global warming, and emergency resilience issues. A smart grid transforms the way power is generated, delivered, consumed and billed. Adding intelligence throughout a networked power grid increases grid reliability, improves demand handling and responsiveness, increases efficiency, better harnesses and integrates renewable/distributed energy sources, and potentially reduces costs for the provider and/or consumers.
Lighting systems will be one of the important component systems of a smart grid for dynamic load management services such as demand response (DR). For instance, California Title 24 (CA T24) requires lighting systems to have the capability of shedding a connected load upon reception of a DR signal from a smart grid. Many challenges exist with dynamic load management in order to match electricity generation and transmission/usage in such a smart grid. For example, existing load management strategies are event driven and reactive, managing the load (load shedding) only when receiving DR signals from the smart grid.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide methods and apparatus that proactively budget electricity use of one or more lighting networks and manage the load of such lighting networks.